1. Field
Embodiments of the disclosure relate to electronics, and more particularly, in one or more embodiments, to calibrating the gain in data acquisition systems.
2. Description of the Related Technology
In data acquisition systems that employ automatic-gain control, as the amount of gain necessary to maintain a minimum level of accuracy varies with the signal, the elements used to provide the gain can also change. This can result in each active gain range acquiring a unique state. Two state variables that contribute to the uniqueness of the state are offset error and amplification error. As a consequence, normalized time domain signals can experience discontinuities at the gain transition locations. These discontinuities typically result in system non-linearity, causing distortion.
The typical method of avoiding such discontinuities is to perform a manual gain calibration during manufacturing. One time manual factory calibration has the inherent disadvantage of being unable to easily adapt the system to sustain the desired level of parametric accuracy over varying operating conditions such as temperature, supply voltage, and component aging. Also, manual calibration of all gain ranges typically consumes a substantial amount of time on the tester during manufacturing. Longer test times in turn contribute to higher manufacturing costs.